Flood control means



April 25, 1944. H, J. DE COSTA ErAL FLOOD CONTROL MEANS Filed Oct. 25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet J.

INVENTORS fl/erma/er BY f ' Tie/r filler/28y April 25, 1944. H. J. DE CVOSTA ETAL FLOOD CONTROL MEANS Filed 001. 25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Patented Apr. 25, 1944 STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOOD ooN'rnoL MEANS Harry J. De Costa and John Obermaier,

Chicago, Ill.

Application October 25, 1943, Serial No. 507,562

' 6 Claims. (CL 182-1) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in flood control meansand more especially to a device for preventing basements and other low levels from being flooded by reason of a backing up of the drainage system, and has for its principal object the provision of a unitary structure which will be highly efficient in use, economical in manufacture, and one which may be installed without disturbing the old drainage installation or removing any of the fixtures therefrom such as the wash bowl and closet bowl.

Among the salient objects of the invention is the provision in such a system of a sump pump automatic in its operation for removing the overflow of sewage and water from a sewage trough to a point of ejection for passage out through the main sewer or drain pipe, and in which the sump pump is protected from gathering debris or other matter normally-passing through the sewerage or drain. v

A still further object of the invention is the provision in a sewage trough of a removable screen which protects the passage of debris or other matter to the sump pump and in which such screen is self-cleaning by the water receding after the sewerage or drainage conduits have returned to their normal operations.

In fiood control devices with which we are familiar, it is the normal practice to discharge the sewage when the water is caused to back up through the sewerage or drain pipes at a point beyond the back water valve in the direction of fiowof the sewage.

While our present invention accomplishes this purpose, we also bring about the added advantageous feature .of directing the discharge of the sewage from the sump pump directly toward the back water valve instead of in a direction against the back-up pressure in the sewerage or drain conduit during the backing up of the sewage therein. j

Flood control means with which we are familiar, prior to our present invention, require in their installation the abandonment of the old sewerage system and the installation of a new system connecting with the various fixtures of the building, such as sinks, wash stands, closet bowls, and the like. Obviously, this adds considerably to the expense of installation. In installing our flood control means, it is not necessary to abandon the old sewerage system. The installation is incorporated in the present or old sewerage system, thus greatly adding to the many advantages resulting from our invention, including the cost of installation and manufacture.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in'which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional detail view of our invention taken substantially on line Il of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the filler material hereinafter referred to, removed; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out the various objects of the invention, some of which have been hereinbefore stated, there is provided in the basement floor ill at a suitable and convenient point, usually within the exposure of the drainage or sewerage system, a well H preferably defined by walls i2 and a bottom I3. Through this well passes the sewerage or drainage conduit I4 which, for example, may have been previously installed in the building, if the building has been constructed prior to the installation of our invention. A section of thisdrainage system within the confines of the well H is removed, leaving exposed into the well the ends l5 and I6 of the conduits hi, it being pointed out that the direction of flow through these conduits I4 is as indicated by the arrows, Fig. 1. s

A sewage trough I! is provided, and this trough I1 comprises an upper chamber l8 and a lower chamber IS, the lower chamber or compartment l9 being connected at one end in communication with the end portion [5 of the conduit I I, as shown in Fig. 1. The opposite end of the lower chamber I9 is closed by a back water valve 20, commonly referred to as a check valve, which in the present instance may automatically open under water pressure in one direction, but which afiords an effective seal when the water or sewage backs up in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrows shown in Fig. 1.

This check valve is arranged: in a clean-out duct 2! comprising a neck portion22 having an open end '23 normally closed by a seal-tight cap 25 secured to flanges 26 through the medium of bolts 21. This duct 2! has an extension 28 which communicates with the end it of the conduit l4. In the normal operation of the seweragedrain, the sewage or water passes to the lower. compartment 19 through the. conduit l4, but should for any reason the sewage or water back up or flow in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrows, Fig. 1, the check valve will be automati cally closed under pressure of the back flowing sewage or water and seal passage of the sewage from entrance into the lower compartment l9. Obviously, any sewage disposal must, under these conditions, be conveyed away. To accomplish this, we provide in the upper chamber or compartment IS the nozzle or inlet 29 of a sump pump 39. This sump pump 30 is supported by a fixed closure 3| constituting the top wall of the compartment l8 and is secured to flanges 32 by means of bolts 33 or the like. A section 34 of this cover may be removed to allow. manual access into the sewage trough IT. The compartments l8 and I!) are divided by a suitable screen structure 35 supported as at v3'5 within the trough IT.

A control switch 31 of a conventional type is provided for contr llin the electric circuit (n s wn) to the pum Th s co trol sw tch preferably includes t o el t odes 8.8 and 9, th lectrode 8 bein o a hort len h, whereas t lectrode 39 is of s antial length; and e arrangement is such that when the waterrises f om the compartment i9 into t co pa m t 18, them-imp 3 l'wi e automa ic l y o ate n the watersubmers s th'o t e lectrodes as n so, When these electrodes are thus subme ged t e ater t e automatic s ite il' is caused to function in a well l mown manner hich s itch marine o pere n constie art of he present nven ion) to ause ee eretien i thepumpifl- In e pres nt i stanc have sh w thou h t may e is ensed wi h) a s reen hea 49; a soei ed ritlr he n zzle o nl end Po t on .n- The's wase's ra n nt -t e pu p nozzle is ei e ed throu h. a condu t 41 compr sins a check val e 2:- F om this conduit ill t se a e passes i -toe d s hargeman fold 42 hi h eneieles e neck 22 an has it outlet 4.3 esi on dic a d r c -io ow rd-t e ch k valve 3st hetthe' ese eje ed r mth age rou h l t rough his schar e m ni ld wi e irected ag ins o in the d r ctio o the eck valve'ii a distin u shed from in a d rection against the bacl; up flow of the water or ewagee To complete t e in tallation, fil r such as a h o e s or the ike. may plaee in the well ll. In this manner onlya few-parts of the i eii cont ol means constituting our invenes a e xpo ed above-the suri ceof the floor Ill;

Nel'me y ng a heav ra n or y' ir ue o he ocation, o the sewage d ain o a building, e se a and wat r are caused temp arily ack u ughthe drainage syst m, I no means is pro ided. f e entinshis ck ng up o e sew ge dr in as We l as tak g a e of th draina e durin thi m men a y abnormal situation, it. isohvious that the sewa e wi flood the. basement-or other low l v l- With. o r n a r lation, as soon as nd ion ta es ac h is, the backin up 0; sewage he sewage drain, the check valve 20 under pressure of the haclr=flowing sewage and water will be closed, shutting off the back-up flow into the compartment E9. The discharge from the sewage drain then continues to empty into the compartment l9 and thence into the compartment l8 of the sewage. trough, the large particles of sewage or other debris being retained in the compartment l9 by the screen 35. As the level rises it will eventually submerge the electrodes 38 and 39. When this takes place the switch 31 will be automatically operated in a well-known manner, causing the pump 30 to automatically operate. Operation of this sump pump 30 will pump water from the compartments l8 and I9 and elect the I same from the manifold 42 into the duct 2| where means which is simple and automatic in its operation, occupies a minimum space, and is effective for its intended purpose, and may be installed without disturbing the old installation where the sewerage installation has been previously installed in the building or the like. c

While we have illustrated and described'th preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention, We, therefore, donot wish to be limited'to the precise details of con struction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A flood control means in. which the. means is confined in a well provided in the floor of a structure through which sewage drain conduits pass, comprising a sewage trough having communication with said conduits and comprising an upper and a lower'compartment, a drainage section having communication with the lower compartment and with said sewage drain conduits, pump means arranged in the upper compartment of the sewage trough, a --discharge manifold having communication with said pump means and said section, and a check valve in said section and operative to obstruct the flow of sewage from said section into said lower comipartment but free to permit flow of said, sewage from said lower compartment into said, section- 2. A flood control means in which the means is confined in a well provided in the floor of a structure through which sewage drain conduits pass, comprising a sewage trough havingv communication with said conduits and comprising an upper and a lower compartment, a drainage section having communication with the lower compartment and with said sewage drain con duits, pump means arranged in the upper com-' partment of the sewage trough, a discharge manifold having communication with said pump means and said section, a check valve in said section and operative to obstruct the flow of sewage from said section into said lower compartment but free to permit flow of said sewage from said lower compartment into said section,

and a screen dividing said compartments.

3. Flood control means. comprising, in combination with a sewage drain conduit, a struc ture comprising a section of said conduit and including a sewage'trough, a section between said trough and one end of said'condu'it, communieating means between said section and saidsewage trough, means for electing sewage from said sewage trough throu h sa d communicatin means intosaid section, and a check valve in,

said section and operative to prevent the flow of sewage from said section into said sewage trough but free to permit flow of sewage from said sewage trough into said section.

4. Flood control means comprising, in combination with a sewage drain conduit, a structure comprising a section of said conduit and including a sewage trough, a section between said trough and one end of said conduit, communicating means between said section and said sewage trough, means for ejecting sewage from said sewage trough through said communicating means into said section, a check valve in said section and operative to prevent the flow of sewage from said sectioninto said sewage trough but free to permit flow of sewage from said sewage trough into said section, and a screen dividing said sewage trough into upper and lower compartments, said lower compartment having communicationv with said section and said conduit for passage of sewage therethrough from said conduit into said section.

5. A flood control device comprising a drain conduit, control means constituting a section of said drain conduit and comprising an overflow trough, a clean-out duct, a sump pump in said trough, a discharge manifold providing communication between the trough and the duct, a

check valve including a gate in said clean-out duct and operable to close communication between the clean-out duct and the trough when the sewage backs up in said drain conduit but otherwise free to permit open communication between said trough and said duct, said manifold having an outlet disposed with respect to said gate such that sewage discharged from the discharge manifold will be directed toward the gate when in closed position by the backing up of said sewage in said conduit.

6. In combination with a drain conduit, a flood control device constituting a section of said drain conduit and comprising a trough divided into an upper and a lower compartment, a sump pump having communication with the upper compartment, a clean-out duct, means providing communication between the sump pump and the clean-out duct, a check valve for controlling communication between the lower compartment and the clean-out duct, said means having a discharge outlet disposed with respect to the check valve in a manner such that discharge therefrom will be directed toward said check valve, and a screen dividing said trough into said upper and lower compartments.

HARRY J. DE COSTA. JOHN OBERMAIER. 

